Dancing at Lughnasa - National Theatre (Olivier)

[stevemar]

Thanks Latecomer

[cartoonman]

Saw this last night. The set is really good. It makes use of the whole of the huge stage. I was concerned that Ardal O'Hanlon might be too much like his Father Dougal role but he was a fine actor as were the rest of the cast. My father, born 1923, lived on a farm in Essex and things were not good in the 30s. There is quite a bit of humour in the play. It is well worth seeing.
By the by, Ardal is the best stand up comic I have ever seen.
My thanks to Latecomer-its a very interesting read.

[theatremiss]

I saw this yesterday’s matinee (followed by the Motive and the Cue in the eve). I thought it was a lovely piece, bittersweet at times. A great cast and I totally agree with a previous post about Alison Oliver who i was totally captured by.

[barelyathletic]

Love the play. Loved the set. Loved Maggie,thought Kate and Chrissie were very good. Michael did what was needed but, although they were fine, I didn't think Agnes came close to the aching depths and poignancy that Brid Brennan reached in the original and Rose was underplayed. Ardal O'Hanlon was stronger in the second half (it's almost impossible to watch him however hard he tries without thinking of father Dougal). But for the love of God! Could the National not find a single decent Welsh actor in the whole of the country? The annoying twit of an English man they presented completely threw me out of the play. Gerry Evans is Welsh and shares the sisters' Celtic roots. And he should be hugely charming, not a blithering idiot. Any one of those sisters would have shown him the door years ago. Can't blame the poor actor, but what an atrocious casting decision and piece of misdirection in an otherwise pretty good revival. Maybe I've been spoiled by seeing the original. This could have come so close but for the fact that Gerry walked in not only from another country but from another play. Grrr.

[barrowside]

It's amazing how many of us remember the original in such detail. It casts a very long shadow indeed.

[bordeaux]

Yes, the Gerry in the version that came to the NT in 1991 was very charmingly played by Stephen Dillane.

[londonpostie]

I don't think we should underestimate the effect a confident, masculine - even exotic - travelling salesman has on the deeply parochial, adult, sisterhood. Among much else, he represents 'a ticket out of here' to a new life and modernity, if he would only ask one of them.

Fwiw, I liked how Friel chose to mitigate The Outsider - who at this point in history would have associations with the English - by (a) making him Welsh and (b) linking him with international socialism/anti fascism.

I was amused to imagine Gerry Evans meeting Willie Loman on the road somewhere; sharing with one another internal and external fantasist lives they weave.

I quite like that, in this production, Father Dougal from Father Ted is promoted to Father Jack, though a different Father Jack from the one in Father Ted (Feck, Arse, Girls, Drink, etc).

In passing, I have wondered if Friel was *homaging* socialist Arthur Miller, maybe just a little. Also, if you want a little homaging with this (post-Father Ted), it must be quite difficult to ignore priests in decline in rural Ireland who share the name Father Jack.

[rumtom]

I saw this today and absolutely loved it. The set design worked so well that I was quite happy watching even before anyone came on stage. And with such a good cast I felt like I was watching a memory of a time and place I'd never experienced.

I was interested in the way religion, pagan festivals and Ugandan spiritual ceremonies are discussed (or not), does anyone know whether this a theme in Friel's work or just an inevitable topic in this story?

[bram]

A really engrossing and thought provoking play superbly acted and directed and designed.

[edi]

Apr 27, 2023 16:17:02 GMT stevemar said:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler questions}
Why is the sisters’ father never mentioned (unless I missed it and this is a key point, so I will feel daft!). Was he never around?

Is there a particular reason why none of them are married? They are cast as outsiders of the village who can’t go to the Harvest Dance, only connect to the outsiders, and is this related to their lack of father/illegitimacy or lack of prospects?

I liked it, but kept thinking that I must be missing some background information, like the one in the spoiler above. 

Also
- the 'Welsh' chap did not come across like 'Welsh'
- Wasn't sure the outcome of the two girls was beliavable, i thought it would've worked better if we are not 'told' what happened to them. 

[londonpostie]

Fwiw, it seemed to me the great problem for the sisters was their only brother was a man of the cloth. Men, brothers, would be far more inclined to leave the rural home for either an industrialed city or the New World (for manual work), but at least they would develop the means to later bring over other family members, perhaps even introducing sisters to their male workmates. This was a familiar pattern, though not one available when your brother is a priest gone native in Uganda.

Of course, two sisters did leave for London and failed to establish themselves - the lowest of low pay (cleaning), one at least falling into alcoholism and destitution.

From what I have seen this started to change after WW2 when it became far more acceptable for single Irish women to leave rural communities for, certainly, London. In fact, I once lived in a Guinness Trust block of 120 bedsit/studios in Brixton, built in the 1950's specifically for single Irish women who would, by then, migrate to work in offices as well as factories (new freedoms following from contributions to the war effort in wartime factories).

Guinness initially built the bedsits without kitchens as the preference then was to foster communal meal times downstairs in the purpose-built hall. There was even a doctor's practice built as part of the estate. That was 20+ years after the time of this play.

The unseen hold of the Catholic church was everywhere.

Ha! eta >>> scroll down for info about Iveagh House, Loughborough Junction: history.guinnesspartnership.com/post-war-development/

[Jon]

May 4, 2023 17:33:56 GMT londonpostie said:

Fwiw, it seemed to me the great problem for the sisters was their only brother was a man of the cloth. Men, brothers, would be far more inclined to leave the rural home for either an industrialed city or the New World (for manual work), but at least they would develop the means to later bring over other family members, perhaps even introducing sisters to their male workmates. This was a familiar pattern, though not one available when your brother is a priest gone native in Uganda.

Of course, two sisters did leave for London and failed to establish themselves - the lowest of low pay (cleaning), one at least falling into alcoholism and destitution.

From what I have seen this started to change after WW2 when it became far more acceptable for single Irish women to leave rural communities for, certainly, London. In fact, I once lived in a Guinness Trust block of 120 bedsit/studios in Brixton, built in the 1950's specifically for single Irish women who would, by then, migrate to work in offices as well as factories (new freedoms following from contributions to the war effort in wartime factories).

Guinness initially built the bedsits without kitchens as the preference then was to foster communal meal times downstairs in the purpose-built hall. There was even a doctor's practice built as part of the estate. That was 20+ years after the time of this play.

The unseen hold of the Catholic church was everywhere.

Ha! eta >>> scroll down for info about Iveagh House, Loughborough Junction: history.guinnesspartnership.com/post-war-development/

See I thought Aggie and Rose's sad outcome was realistic and also that's what happen to Brian Friel's Aunts in real life. 

[londonpostie]

I thought to use this play as an introduction to ChatGPT AI. This is the conversation I had - responses were almost immediate. Nothing here seems to have come from, for example, the Wiki entry. Welcome to our new overlords >>

SPOILERS BELOW

What are the themes in Dancing at Lughnasa?
ChatGPT

"Dancing at Lughnasa" is a play by Brian Friel set in rural Ireland in 1936. The play explores a number of themes including:

Family: The play centers around the five Mundy sisters who live together in a small cottage. The play explores the complex relationships between the sisters, their nephew Michael, and their community.

Memory: The play is told from the perspective of Michael, who is looking back on his childhood memories of his aunts. The play explores how memory can be both a source of comfort and pain.

Religion: The play examines the role of religion in the lives of the characters. The sisters are devout Catholics, but their beliefs are tested by their poverty and difficult circumstances.

Gender roles: The play highlights the challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society. The sisters struggle to find their place in the world and to assert their independence in the face of societal expectations.

Irish identity: The play explores what it means to be Irish and the tensions between Irish traditions and modernity. The sisters cling to their traditional ways of life, but the world around them is changing rapidly.

User
If Michael was a baby at the time how is it a memory play?
ChatGPT

Although Michael is a baby at the time of the events in "Dancing at Lughnasa", the play is told from the perspective of an older Michael looking back on his childhood. This technique is known as a "memory play" because the narrator is recounting events from the past based on their own memories and experiences.

Throughout the play, Michael reflects on his memories of his aunts, their relationships with each other, and the events that took place during that summer in 1936. He narrates the play, offering insights into the characters and their motivations.

While Michael may not have been able to fully understand the events as a baby, the play uses his memories to create a sense of nostalgia and to explore the themes of family, memory, and Irish identity.

User
Was Rose Mundy raped when she went off with a local boy?
ChatGPT

There is no clear answer to this question as it is left ambiguous in the play. In "Dancing at Lughnasa," Rose Mundy, one of the sisters, becomes involved with a local man named Danny Bradley. She goes off with him, but when she returns, she is in a state of shock and appears to have been traumatized by the experience.

While the play does not explicitly state that Rose was raped, there are suggestions that this may have been the case. For example, when Rose returns from her outing with Danny, she is described as being "like a wounded animal." She is unable to speak and appears to be in a state of shock. Her sisters speculate about what may have happened to her, with some suggesting that Danny may have taken advantage of her.

However, it is also possible that Rose's trauma was not the result of rape, but rather due to the fact that she had a mental disability and may have struggled to understand or cope with the experience. Ultimately, the play leaves it up to the audience to interpret what happened to Rose, and the ambiguity of the situation underscores the sense of uncertainty and unease that pervades the play.

User
Why did Agnes Mundy and Rose Mundy leave for London shortly after the incident with Danny Bradley?
ChatGPT

In "Dancing at Lughnasa," Agnes and Rose Mundy leave for London shortly after the incident with Danny Bradley. There are several reasons why they may have decided to leave:

Shame and stigma: The small, close-knit community in which the Mundy sisters lived may have been quick to judge and stigmatize Rose for what happened with Danny. Agnes may have felt that it was best for them to leave and start afresh in a new location where they could escape the shame and stigma.

Economic opportunity: The Mundy sisters lived in a rural area of Ireland where opportunities for work and economic advancement were limited. Agnes may have seen London as a place where she and Rose could find better-paying jobs and improve their financial situation.

Desire for adventure: Agnes and Rose may have simply been eager for a change and the chance to experience something new. London represented a larger, more cosmopolitan city with a wealth of opportunities and experiences that were not available to them in rural Ireland.

Overall, the reasons for Agnes and Rose leaving for London are not explicitly stated in the play, but it is likely that a combination of these factors contributed to their decision.

Fwiw, the breadth of knowledge is surely hugely impressive. But there is not (yet) depth or insight. Some of it looks a little *off* to me but I imagine others feel it's valid.

No hype: Chatbox AI is the next revolution.  Put limbs on these machine learning algorithms and we're in trouble.

[londonpostie]

After about 10-minutes, I asked it to regenerate the final response. It had already learned or, maybe with time to assess, matured:

User
Why did Agnes Mundy and Rose Mundy leave for London shortly after the incident with Danny Bradley?
ChatGPTIn "Dancing at Lughnasa," Agnes and Rose Mundy leave for London shortly after the incident with Danny Bradley because they are seeking a new start and a better life for themselves. The events surrounding Rose's experience with Danny have shaken the household, and the sisters are struggling to cope with the trauma and uncertainty.

Agnes and Rose see London as an opportunity to escape the limitations of their rural life in Ireland and to pursue new opportunities. They hope to find work and to build a better future for themselves. Additionally, Agnes is in a romantic relationship with a Welsh man named Gerry Evans, who promises to marry her and take her to Spain. The prospect of a new life with Gerry also motivates Agnes to leave.

For Rose, the move to London offers a chance to escape the trauma of her experience with Danny and to start anew in a new city. While the play does not explicitly state what happens to Agnes and Rose in London, their departure underscores the themes of change and the desire for a better life that run throughout the play.

That is .. quite something. It's not entirely correct but .. is it speculating? Feels more like over-reaching. Hmm.

[sweets7]

May 4, 2023 18:20:03 GMT Jon said:

May 4, 2023 17:33:56 GMT londonpostie said:

Fwiw, it seemed to me the great problem for the sisters was their only brother was a man of the cloth. Men, brothers, would be far more inclined to leave the rural home for either an industrialed city or the New World (for manual work), but at least they would develop the means to later bring over other family members, perhaps even introducing sisters to their male workmates. This was a familiar pattern, though not one available when your brother is a priest gone native in Uganda.

Of course, two sisters did leave for London and failed to establish themselves - the lowest of low pay (cleaning), one at least falling into alcoholism and destitution.

From what I have seen this started to change after WW2 when it became far more acceptable for single Irish women to leave rural communities for, certainly, London. In fact, I once lived in a Guinness Trust block of 120 bedsit/studios in Brixton, built in the 1950's specifically for single Irish women who would, by then, migrate to work in offices as well as factories (new freedoms following from contributions to the war effort in wartime factories).

Guinness initially built the bedsits without kitchens as the preference then was to foster communal meal times downstairs in the purpose-built hall. There was even a doctor's practice built as part of the estate. That was 20+ years after the time of this play.

The unseen hold of the Catholic church was everywhere.

Ha! eta >>> scroll down for info about Iveagh House, Loughborough Junction: history.guinnesspartnership.com/post-war-development/

See I thought Aggie and Rose's sad outcome was realistic and also that's what happen to Brian Friel's Aunts in real life. 

They got on rather better. Although after the Agnes character died the Rose did struggle. They ended up with a home of their own high now sells for a few million.

[jm25]

Watched this tonight and thought it was rather wonderful. Went in with no knowledge of the play or any of Friel’s other works and found this a really moving piece - snapshots of warmth and humanity within a family on the precipice of change. The last memory play I watched was ‘The Glass Menagerie’ but this worked so much better.

I thought Alison Oliver and Louisa Harland were great but Siobhán McSweeney was my highlight. Very funny!

I was very close to the front and thought that was the perfect vantage point. I didn’t immediately notice any mics on the actors so did wonder if those right at the back would be able to hear everything as it’s obviously a very big auditorium.

[theatrefan77]

This was excellent. It's such a wonderful play anyway. Still have very fond memories of the 2009 in the round production at the Old Vic and i was afraid this one wouldn't be as good, but it was.

[nottobe]

Yesterday I went to see this for a second time. I don't often revisit productions in the same run but I jus felt compelled to. I enjoyed it just as much the second time and am glad I got to see this again. The first time I watched it I felt like Chris was the main character if you can pick one but this time Kate was the sister I felt I was following most, now that I knew the plot in a better way.

I don't think I'll go a third time (yet) but if they are bringing back 'The father and the assassin' than surely this will return to the Olivier due to demand so who knows...

[david]

Well it seems the the theatre gods are at work again for me. Having managed to grab a £10 centre row C stalls seat in last Fridays rush day for tonight’s show, this was an absolute steal to see this fantastic show by a wonderful cast. There was no weak links amongst the cast of 8 who made me both laugh (Sibohan McSweeney was absolute star on stage and for me worth the ticket price alone) as well as stop and reflect on the sadness of what happened to the family in the future during Michael’s speech at the end. It’s a lovely snapshot of life in times gone by. As a memory play, the use of older Michael as the narrator was a nice touch to both look back on events and reveal the differing fortunes of the family later on in life. It’s a nice slow burner piece that kept me totally engaged for the entire night.

I really loved the set design from Robert Jones (particularly the kitchen) though we did have an issue with the video screen at the back of the set showing the hillside. Halfway through Act 1 it disappeared but thankfully made a reappearance after the interval.

As an extra bonus, I spotted Sir Ian McKellen in the downstairs bar area tonight.

Rating - 5⭐️

[clarefh]

I was also there yesterday and loved it. I first saw this play when I was mid teens, so was interesting coming back to it now at a different life stage. That first production had such a huge impact on me however, it was lovely to revisit something that has stayed with me so vividly all those years.

I thought the performances were all played with such a balance of depth and light and agree that Alison Oliver in particular was really captivating.

It’s a play with so many layers, and layers of emotions - the warmth of the family setting and relationships, the underlying sadness and waste of these women’s lives trapped with no real choice which really hit me this time, and then that sense of a time and people gone. Really beautiful and moving.

[theatrelover97]

Went to this a few weeks back and what a fantastic play it was. Truly sensational.

[Mark]

Loved this. It’s a slow burner but you really feel like you get to know the characters over the course of the play. I absolutely loved the total explosion of joy during the dancing scene in act one. Great acting all around and another win for the National. The Olivier has never looked more beautiful with this stunning set.

[bee]

Saw this afternoon's matinee of this. Would agree with most of the positive reviews on here, the set is stunning, the acting is marvellous - Justine Mitchell in particular just shines - and in the end it leaves you with a feeling of sadness about lives blighted by events which don't seem especially dramatic when they happen but which have deep consequences.

Would also agree with those who were bemused by the portrayal of Jerry. Not a hint of Welshness about him.

But ultimately that's a small peeve. 4 stars from me.

[mrnutz]

I saw the matinee yesterday and really enjoyed it! I had no prior knowledge before going but booked on the strength of the reports here, and glad I did. Beautiful set and really excellent performances across the board.

4/5

It was my first time sitting on the front row at the Oliver - cheap and a fantastic view but SO uncomfortable on the old backside!

[NeilVHughes]

A ‘The Play Podcast’ for those interested, a discussion of the play with Josie Rourke.

Again only listen if you have seen the play or not planning to as full of spoilers.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-play-podcast/id1505205089?i=1000614252057


I do love this podcast, well worth a look as up to today, 62 other plays discussed.